Guadalajara Trip - Day 2
Tequila
Day two began with breakfast at Hotel Morales, our home base for this trip. They have a very nice buffet that includes a variety of hot and cold options as well as eggs cooked your way. [The hotel is a beautiful, Hacienda-style, historic building which has recently been restored.] After breakfast our guides Pancho and Mafer (Maria Fernanda) arrived with our two vans and driver to whisk us off to Tequila! (Remember – seeing how tequila is made and tasting it was what got this whole trip started.) What better way to see and get to know Mexico than to go where its signature drink is from.
An interesting fact about Tequila: it is actually older than Guadalajara. Apparently, the indigenous people of Tequila were so welcoming that the newcomers founded their own city not far away. One wonders if the local beverage had anything to do with their welcoming nature?
Pancho chose the perfect tequileria for us to visit. Originally named Los Abuelos after the founder’s grandfathers, who were tequila makers for generations, it is now known throughout the world as Fortaleza. The name was changed for export purposes, but in Mexico it is still known as Los Abuelos. As a matter of fact, if you pull off the Fortaleza label the bottle will see Los Abuelos etched in the glass.
Foeteleza is one of the only places where tequila is made in the original way, including packaging and hand-painting the stoppers. The tour was fascinating and tasting the tequila in the coolest bar was the perfect ending. The bar is in a cave! Needless to say, after tasting the their blanco, reposado and anejo variations, we immediately headed to the gift shop to purchase a few bottles.
Lunch was next door to Los Abuelos at Casa Salles, a lovely boutique hotel with a gorgeous garden area where a private buffet was set for our group. Keeping with Mexican tradition, we all had a long and delicious lunch.
After lunch we headed to the center of Tequila, where we had time to wander the streets, visit the museum, watch the Voladores, shop or visit a bar. The choice was ours. From most spots in town you could see the Voladores perform. For those who have never seen it, it is amazing. The custom dates back to ancient times and was believed to be done to beg the gods to end a drought that happened over 450 years ago and continues on today. 5 men dressed in full costumes climb a 30 meter (98 ft 5 inches) pole and 4 of them launch themselves off tied with ropes and twirl all the way to the ground, upside down. The 5th participant, meanwhile, stays on the top of the pole beating a small drum and playing a wooden flute.
After, we headed back to Guadalajara and went directly to Pancho’s incredible restaurant, Farmacia Rita Perez, known for its Medicina Mexicana – GREAT drinks and a Guadalajara specialty, tortas ahogada (drowned sandwich). The tortas came in beef, pork, shrimp or mushroom. The drinks were imaginative and incredible. I also had to try their tequila with a side of sangrita, which is my favorite drink, if made properly, and this was maybe the best I have ever had. Of course, the recipe could not be exactly shared but I know its secret is in the chilis they use.
Exhausted and happy, we all headed back to the hotel to rest before our day of shopping in Tlaquepaque.